At the 2025 NHL trade deadline, the Boston Bruins acquired forward Will Zellers as part of the trade that sent Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche. Coyle, of course, was then traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets by Colorado during the 2025 NHL off-season. 

The Bruins' decision to take a chance on Zellers is not difficult to understand. The 2024 third-round pick dominated the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers in 2024-25, posting 44 goals and 71 points in 52 games. With this, the young forward had already been demonstrating plenty of offensive potential at the time of the trade.

Zellers just completed his first season at the collegiate level with the University of North Dakota in 2025-26, and he undoubtedly had a strong year. In 38 games with the school, he posted 18 goals, 16 assists, and 34 points. With numbers like these, he made a real impact as a freshman at North Dakota. 

Yet, now that Zellers has a year of experience playing at the collegiate level, it would not be surprising if he takes his game to a new level with North Dakota next season. He is a scoring forward with plenty of skill, so it will be intriguing to see what he can do in 2026-27.

If Zellers can take another big step with his development next season, it would only create more hype about his future with the Black and Gold. It is hard not to feel optimistic about the young forward's potential.